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“Things Aren't Always As They Seem”
• 10.19.14 • Calvary Christian Fellowship, Sunday Morning Service
Intro.
- After the last three weeks, you may have
wondered if anything good happened during the time of the Judges? It pleases me
greatly to answer with a resounding "yes!"
- The events found in the book of Ruth contain
one of the most stirring examples of God's hand of providence, the doctrine of
God's intervention in human affairs, on record!
- The book of Ruth serves as proof to us that
even in the darkest of days generally, He is still at work in the lives of
individuals, working behind the scenes, to provide redemption.
- In life, with God, the book of Ruth reveals
to us that things aren't always as they seem! It is a privilege to study this
together, so let's do that.
Text
•
Ruth 1:1,2 : "Now it came to pass, in the days
when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man
of Bethlehem, Judah, went to dwell in the country of Moab, he and his wife and
his two sons. The
name of the man was Elimelech, the name of his wife was Naomi, and the names of
his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion—Ephrathites of Bethlehem, Judah. And they
went to the country of Moab and remained there." : Spiritually, the days in Israel were darkened by a nation that
refused to live in light of God's Word.
-
The people of Israel cycled through behaviors that were right in their own
eyes, but were deemed evil by the Lord, the One who owned the land that they
lived in.
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Israel digressed deeper and deeper in this manner as that 350 year period wore
on. This historical account was penned during a time of spiritual decline.
Leading to the crisis of the day.
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The land was experiencing famine. Today, a famine is declared when 30 percent
of homes within a given area are unable to sustain basic survival needs.
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In an agrarian society, such as was found in the land that God promised His
people, this would have been a devastating event.
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There is no doubt that this famine was tied to a time when Israel had turned
themselves toward evil once again. Leviticus
26 is an excellent companion toward establishing this point.
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If Israel obeyed the Lord, there would be such an abundance of food that they
would have to clear their storehouses of the old to bring in the new! (Leviticus 26:10)
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But if they disobeyed and went after idols, God in a loving effort to reform
them, would allow the sky to turn to iron and the earth to turn to bronze! (Leviticus 26:19)
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In Israel's conditional covenant with God, they had failed and this was God
allowing them to re-consider their ways. The right thing to do was to repent
and return to the Lord.
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Unfortunately, that does not seem to have been a consideration. Time to consult
"Plan B!"
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You can almost hear the conversations that took place on the proverbial front
lawns: "Do we wait it out and hope for a change next season or go?"
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Leaving meant leaving the promised land, the inheritance that the Lord had
given to His people, where they could grow and flourish spiritually as a
nation.
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More than that, the land of Israel was where God's name would be set and God's
people could have access, however limited, to His presence!
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Israel was where the altar was and where the priesthood functioned and where
the sacrifices were made. It was the center of their life with God! This was
not enough for one family.
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The author focuses our attention on a man who lived in Bethlehem of Judah.
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Bethlehem, the house of bread, had been anything but! Consequently, the man
decides to relocate his wife and two sons to the country of Moab.
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The irony of the name "Bethlehem" must have been a daily mockery. But
there is also irony in their own names that had to confront them as well!
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Elimelech's name means "My God is King" and Naomi's name means
"My Delight" or "Pleasant!" How difficult was this, as
"My God is King" struggled to be true to his own name!
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"My Delight?" In these times? What was there to delight in? There was
no food to cook. Had it been only the married couple, things might not have
been so bad, but there were children to feed.
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One can hardly imagine the stress of a down agricultural season or two from a
fiscal perspective, much less the marital stress compounded by the
responsibility to feed children!
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Add to that, it seems that the children were also special needs children.
Mahlon's name means "Sick," while his brother's name, Chilion, means
"Pining," literally wasting away!
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These boys needed attention and the lack of food could not have been an aid to
their situation in life. Can you sense the tension and the crisis point that
they faced?
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As a husband, how would this affect you practically and emotionally? As a wife,
what might your days have been like as you looked helplessly at your children's
needs?
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Maybe they fought it longer than others. Maybe they held their heads up high
and promised to return when things were better for them and for Bethlehem. But
they left nonetheless.
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Did they sin by leaving? The text doesn't seem to indicate that clearly except
by inference. Certainly, it was sinful not to repent before the Lord and sinful
not to trust His providential hand.
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Those are still sins today, especially among people who know better!
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But the real difficulty is where they chose to live. The country of Moab?
That's odd.
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The Moabites were Israel's cousins through Lot. Their ancestory was scandalous
according to Genesis 19, and their
history was fraught with idolatry and enmity against Israel.
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Their legacy had been sealed when Israel came to her borders and the King of
Moab sought to plot their destruction through an itinerant prophet for hire, a
true "Profit," named Baalam.
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Numbers 22 through Numbers 24 provides us with a behind
the scenes look at Baalam's failed attempt to curse Israel.
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He can't curse them, but he did inform them how they might curse themselves! As
I said when we covered that chapter, the answer was not to send the men, but to
send the women!
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Baalam could not curse Israel, but he could make Israel compromise! Numbers 25 records a lurid sexual
scene, which ends in the slaughter of 24,000 Israelis who had participated in
idolatry.
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Given that history, this is a curious place to visit and an even more
suspicious place to raise your family, especially if a spiritual life was
important to you! Nevertheless, here they are.
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"There may not be much of a spiritual life, but at least there is bread!"
That has often been the basis for exceptionally poor decisions made by people
who claim to love the Lord!
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Geographically speaking, one could really say that the physical grass was
greener on Moab's side! But with greener grass comes much higher water bills!
They would pay a significant price.
•
Ruth 1:3-5 : "Then Elimelech, Naomi’s husband,
died; and she was left, and her two sons. Now they took wives of the women of
Moab: the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth. And they
dwelt there about ten years. Then both Mahlon and Chilion also died; so the woman survived
her two sons and her husband." : Elimelech
died. The Hebrew word is used 835 times in the Old Testament. There was no
previous condition, nor given cause. It was simply when he was going to die!
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Listen to the words that the Spirit of God chose to leave us with: He died and
she was left!
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Thankfully the boys were already married to two Moabite women, Orpah and Ruth,
"Neck" and "Friend." What was to be a short sojourn, became
a decade long attempt to relocate.
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Then, her boys, her caretakers, also died, not having time to raise children.
She survived her husband as well as her two sons! One strains to consider the
pain that that sentence conveys.
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Can you imagine the grief and the pain that she experienced? Can you hear the
questions that must have circled through her mind endlessly?
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"Should we ever have left?" "Is God punishing me?" Let us
dispense with this now.
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When things go against our expectations, it's easy to blame God without a
proper view to our own willful actions or the sinful actions of others.
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Our part in the story is often softened or completely ignored when the question
arises.
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Elimelech took a chance on a frontier type situation. He gambled with his own
life and that of the life of his family in an area that had been openly hostile
toward his people.
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It's not clear that he obtained God's leading in it. Perhaps he felt that the
circumstances justified his actions. In any event, what was Naomi's choice in
the matter?
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Here she is, bereft of husband and male children, in that society, a veritable
cursed position.
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We could waste an awful lot of time trying to assign blame. It's best to face
what comes as a condition of living in a fallen world and allow our faith to
steer us toward the Lord.
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We cannot control what has happened. We can only control our response and
prayerfully, it will be one that re-affirms a trust in the Lord!
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For Naomi, I'm not sure that happened immediately, but her choice shows that
she wanted it to be the case. Look at verse 6.
•
Ruth 1:6-10 : "Then she arose with her
daughters-in-law that she might return from the country of Moab, for she had
heard in the country of Moab that the Lord had visited His people by giving them bread. Therefore she went out from the
place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her; and they went on
the way to return to the land of Judah. And Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, 'Go, return each to
her mother’s house. The Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with
me. The Lord grant that you may find rest, each
in the house of her husband.' So she kissed them, and they lifted up their
voices and wept. And they said to her, 'Surely we will return with you to your
people.'" : Naomi is in a position on the
human plane, to be a lifelong dependant recipient of mercy from whatever family
or friends that she had left back in Bethlehem. That is her lot.
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It was at that time that she heard while in Moab, that the Lord had visited His
people by giving them bread! The irony of this is incredibly thick.
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One, Naomi had come from Bethlehem, the name meaning "House of
Bread!" Two, they had only left Bethlehem because there had been no bread!
"What timing Lord?"
-
It's been over a decade. You can almost hear her voice. "Yeah, it
figures!" She was going to travel back alone, but her daughters sought to
tag along with her.
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To their credit, they genuinely love Naomi and would even go from their people
to hers. Naomi pays them tribute for their kindness. All she can hope is that
the Lord blesses them in return.
-
Naomi really couldn't let them. They could still have a future there in that
land. They could still seek after or be sought by a husband. They wept together
and the girls remained resolute.
•
Ruth 1:11-14 : "But Naomi said, 'Turn back, my
daughters; why will you go with me? Are there still sons in my womb, that they
may be your husbands? Turn back, my daughters, go—for I am too old to have a husband.
If I should say I have hope, if I should have a husband tonight and should also
bear sons, would you
wait for them till they were grown? Would you restrain yourselves from having
husbands? No, my daughters; for it grieves me very much for your sakes that the
hand of the Lord has gone out against me!' Then they lifted up their voices and
wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her." : Naomi wasn't bluffing. She becomes far more clear at this
second stop.
-
Naomi's prospects for marriage are slim to none. Having children was out of the
question! This was all a woman could hope for in this society. This was her
security, but this is Naomi's reality!
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But then, she goes a bit further than the facts allow: "It grieves me
exceedingly for your sakes that the hand of the Lord has gone out against me!"
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The word "grieves" comes from the same Hebrew word for
"bitter." This was a bitter turn for Naomi, but she was aged. She had
lived her life. What was hard for her was her daughters plight!
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She had hoped for a greater blessing for their sakes, but it seemed to her in
that moment, that when all was added up, God's hand had extended itself in
discipline toward her.
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These were certainly difficult times. In the heat of emotion, we can utter
things similar to this and God isn't threatened at all. We can say these things
through tear stained eyes with angry hearts.
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But does that make it true? I'm not so sure, but we can never turn anyone's
opinion away from the emotional outburst. This was the truth regarding how she
felt. Later, she will think differently!
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Orpah and Ruth both listened and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye. She
could go no further. The reality of the situation stung her.
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The romance of a new home and life wasn't enough! The virtue and nobility of
loyalty to her mother-in-law couldn't ultimately affect her move over the
Jordan River.
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Ruth on the other hand, when confronted with the same information, remained
resolute!
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She clung to Naomi. This same word is used to describe the unity of the
marriage relationship, expressed in the word "cleave." Ruth glued her
life, her future, to Naomi.
•
Ruth 1:15-18 : "And she said, 'Look, your
sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your
sister-in-law.' But
Ruth said: 'Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God. Where
you die, I will die, And there will I be
buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also, If anything but death parts you and me.' When she saw that she was determined to go with her, she
stopped speaking to her." : Ruth's profession to remain
with Naomi was tested when Naomi begged her to reconsider and return.
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Naomi makes it clear that Orpah was going back for her people and her gods. It's
likely that Orpah was still in view. This was her last chance to turn back and
resume what she had known.
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Ruth would hear nothing of it! However frail this woman was and however fatal
she was in her thinking, Ruth saw something birthed in her lately that
attracted her.
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Whatever hope was driving her to take a prolonged and potentially dangerous
trip back to Israel at this late stage in her life was worth investigating
personally!
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These words are amazing when one considers the weight of her statement
culturally. She is leaving all that she is familiar with and pledging to stay
near to Naomi, even past her own death!
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She would go where Naomi went and live where she lived. She would identify with
Naomi's people, but most importantly, she would identify Naomi's God as her
own!
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She had enough of the gods of her society that had been a part of her growing
up. She's done with that life and Naomi saw that Ruth was determined so further
talking was pointless!
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Ruth had become hardened in her heart, in a good way! She was not going to let
anything deter her from her course.
•
Ruth 1:19-21 : "Now the two of them went until they
came to Bethlehem. And it happened, when they had come to Bethlehem, that all
the city was excited because of them; and the women said, 'Is this Naomi?' But she said to them, 'Do not call me
Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full, and the Lord has brought me home again empty. Why do you call me Naomi,
since the Lord
has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?'" : Depending on where they started, this could have been as much
as a 4 day journey. You wonder what was said and what was planned between them.
"What is it like? Where are things?"
-
The tutorial came to an end when they came into town and the whole city was
excited. The word speaks of being moved or disturbed, to have an uneasy mind
about something.
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Their question tells the story: "Is this Naomi?" It had been a little
more than a decade, but life had been hard on Naomi. The sadness in her eyes,
the trouble in her walk and the age on her face.
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You wonder what she might have looked like before she left. There she had been
with her husband and kids in tow, head high for the adventure to come.
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Now, she's slumped over having been thoroughly tested by the "adventure"
she had once thought she'd have.
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When they asked her identity, she candidly threw out her words. "Don't
call me Naomi. Call me Mara." I'm not pleasant anymore. I'm bitter because
that is how God has treated me!
-
She contrasts her visage and legacy to the last time she looked at the city
limits. She had been so full. She had no real lack, but she was now empty, with
nothing but lack!
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Isn't that amazing!? The decade in Moab had taught her one thing. She had left
full. Wait? They had left destitute! They left for a lack of bread and
livelihood! They left to find a life!
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What she found was that they had left a life behind that was far greater than
any riches they thought they were running toward.
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She had thought that she was empty, but knew now through experience that she
had been full all along! in her eyes, God had judged her and had punished her
severely!
-
This is honestly how she assessed the situation, but she has no idea what she
is saying!
•
Ruth 1:22 : "So Naomi returned, and Ruth the
Moabitess her daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the country of Moab.
Now they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest." : It's hard to see the truth in the middle of the story, but this
is the greatest turn that Naomi will ever know.
-
Here are these two destitute women, essentially starting over in life together,
with no real prospects and no great design on their part.
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But they came back into Bethlehem, the house of bread! They are in the right
place and the Lord's timing is perfect. It's the beginning of the barley
harvest, the perfect time to come!
Conclusion
- We'll unveil lessons about providence and
God's good nature as we continue in the book of Ruth. For now, take note of our
three starlets, which each represent characters we see today.
- Naomi is a person walking back to God. No
matter how hard life has been, life is better where God is. She's coming back
to that. Maybe that's you. God desires that above all else!
- You've lived long enough in the land of your
enemy and it's time to return!
- Orpah is a person who thinks that she wants
to walk toward God and has some notions about it. In the end, the call to what
she knows and the security of this world, holds her back. Is that you?
- The sad part of this story is that Naomi can
do nothing to convince her and must respect and honor her choice to return. I'm
sure that like the Rich Young Ruler, she walked away sad.
- Ruth is the person who thinks she wants to
walk toward God and in the face of the seemingly impossible, still chooses to
do so. Would that be you?
- You've heard of God's love and provision of
bread, literally the "bread of life" Jesus. You've seen what life is
like without Him and feel drawn to see what life would be like with Him.
- Will you leave your gods? Will you leave your
security? Nobody who wants to take ahold of God can do so without both hands
reaching forward!
- It's not known what will happen and there is
no guarantee that your earthly life will be exponentially better. But if you
sense a call toward it, you are being attracted by the Holy Spirit!
- There is forgiveness of sin and a fresh
perspective on life. There is love like you've never known and wisdom that
astounds your heart.
- There is a Savior who has pleased God, who
has paid for Your sins by absorbing in His body the rightful wrath of God
against your sin and who ever lives to reveal His Father's love toward you!
- Like Ruth, that costs you your self-loving,
sin-indulging, idol worshipping way, a way that I am sure and you can be sure,
that she never regretted leaving behind!
- I can assure you that I've never met anyone
who regretted leaving their life behind to follow after Jesus Christ and you
won't be the first!
- These three Ladies show us that there are
three types of people in this world today: Those who are returning to God,
those who are rejecting God and those who are rejoicing in God.
- Which are you?
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